Stories, history, and reflections from a nation 250 years in the making
125 women and 125 men whose work shaped the nation — and changed the world.
What makes someone an influential American? It is not fame. It is not wealth. It is not power alone. It is the question every great American has answered with their life: Did you leave the country better than you found it?
The 250 Americans honored on this page span 250 years of American history — from the Founding Fathers and Mothers of the 18th century to the scientists, artists, athletes, civil rights leaders, inventors, and visionaries of our own time. Their fields are different. Their politics are different. Their backgrounds are different. But each, in their own way, made America what it is today.
This is not a ranking. This is a tribute.